Chris Leslie MP, Labour’s Shadow Treasury Minister, in response to today’s Project Merlin figures said:“After a year it’s now clear that George Osborne’s backroom deal with the banks has been a total failure… et cetera

11:48:

Commenting on the Project Merlin figures published by the Bank of England today, Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna MP said:“The news that the lending targets for small and medium sized businesses set under Project Merlin have been missed will add insult to injury for firms… et cetera

Labour are denying that their flurry of press releases represents a rift between their Shadow Business and Shadow Treasury teams. Chuka is higher up the ladder than Chris Leslie so could well be a little peeved that his much-loved thunder was stolen. However if it isn’t a rift, then it’s another sign of increasingly poor press management. Another win for the mythical Labour grid…

GuidoFawkes Quote of the Day

“I read more bloggers now than mainstream columnists, because they’ve got more interesting things to say. Too many columnists today make you think, ‘Yeah, I think you’ve said that 10 times before and I’ve just noticed your column has not go a single fact in it’”.